eSpecially Ben

Aunt Olivia & Ben Ode to Tonsils Think of all the organs used in our creation, That are so easy to get rid of with a simple operation. Tonsils, gall bladders and our extra kidney, Are not as important as say our heart, lung and knee. Adnoids are up there with things that are purpose-free, Hopefully Ben's didn't grow back, that will add to the doctor's cutting spree This Friday, Ben's tonsils will be last seen, Hey, what happens to the thing that hangs in between? Love, Aunt Olivia Ben is having his tonsils removed on Friday, October 23. His deviated septum and other nasal issues will hopefully be fixed too. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

After two brain scans, genetic testing, three neurologists, a developmental pediatrician and Duke Children’s Hospital, we gave up on the idea of a label for Ben's disability. About 25% of children with special needs supposedly have a “non-diagnosis.” We were fairly comfortable in this category. Plus the searching was getting expensive, disappointing and tiring. On our fourth neurologist, we hit the jackpot. I brought Ben’s 2 MRI scans with me. Before seeing us, the doctor reviewed them. The neurologist walked into the room with a few brochures and said, “Ben has hypoplasia of the corpus callosum.” The doctor explained about the organizations involved in research and support, and she suggested we sign Ben up for the study in California. I read the brochures and sure enough, Ben fit. Hypoplasia of the Corpus Callosum in plain language means the bundle of 200,000 nerves that connects your left and right brain (corpus callosum) is thin (hypoplasia), about 60%. For some reason the

In keeping with the tradition of the "One Lovely Blog Award" and passing the torch to 15 other blogs, here are my first four. I took my job seriously and read through many blogs, probably too many because I had a nightmare about blogs in the middle of the night. So after careful reading and consideration, I would like to pass "One Lovely Blog Award" onto the following four sites: • http://www.upnorthmommy.com • http://www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com • http://lovethatmax.blogspot.com • http://www.cchs.org/blog I chose these blogs because I think they have a writing style that is open and honest while being informative. Try them out! The rules, upon receiving this award, state that you must: 1. Accept the award; 2. Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link; 3. Pass the award on to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered; and 4. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have